Inductees 2012 - Dr Casta Tungaraza

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Dr Casta Tungaraza

Dr Tungaraza co-founded the African Women’s Council of Australia last year to allow African women to have their voices heard on issues such as the child protection system and antisocial African youths.

The council held a forum and presented a national action plan to the Federal and State ministers for women at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth.

It also established cultural awareness training and parents’ education programs in African-Australian communities nationwide.

Born in Tanzania to a family of 11, Dr Tungaraza’s father was a minister for labour and social welfare and her mother was a primary schoolteacher.

“Dad would say ‘if you go to the well and you can’t carry a bucket, you can still carry a glass’ so whatever you can do, you are assisting,” she said.

“Don’t ever think you are too young or too small to have an impact.

“We can’t wait for problems to be solved by someone else. We have to be part of the solution, not the problem.”

The Applecross mother of two is a doctor of philosophy in international relations and is equal opportunity and social justice manager at Murdoch University.

She came to Australia 25 years ago and has become a strong advocate for multiculturalism. She holds seats on the WA Premier’s anti-racism steering committee and the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council.